Defendant here asserts that the requisite intent to establish domicile in New York was not present, and that since both parties had been lifelong residents of McKean County, Pennsylvania, plaintiff's stay in New York was never accompanied by the intent to abandon her former Pennsylvania domicile and establish a new domicile.

The plaintiff resided in the State of New York for one and one-half years, during which time she procured a New York motor vehicle operator's license and automobile registration, auto insurance through membership in a New York automobile club, a lease on an apartment, and a local library card. It also appears, however, that: (1) while plaintiff asserted that one of her reasons for moving was that she had relatives in Buffalo, New York, she remained in close propinquity to her former and present homes, just across the state line in Olean, New York; (2) plaintiff kept her stocks and bank account in Bradford, Pa., in care of her attorney, (3) plaintiff remained on the Pennsylvania voter registration rolls and did not register as a voter in New York; (4) plaintiff continued to pay Pennsylvania taxes, while never placing herself on the New York tax rolls; (5) plaintiff did not work in New York State during her stay, and (6) during her stay, plaintiff made sundry trips back into Pennsylvania and to other places. Prior to the filing of this suit and prior to her formal engagement to marry her present husband she saw him socially on frequent occasions, both in Pennsylvania and New York.

Furthermore, little weight can be given to the fact that plaintiff acquired an operator's license and car registration in New York, since non-residents undertaking extensive stays in New York are obliged by law to obtain those licenses, a fact of which the plaintiff is fully cognizant, as evidenced in her deposition.

Jurisdictional statutes are to be strictly construed and the burden of proof is upon the plaintiff to affirmatively establish diversity of citizenship. 28 U.S.C.A. § 1332, Ramsey v. Mellon National Bank, 350 F.2d 874 [3rd Cir., 1965]. Although plaintiff may have departed Pennsylvania to escape abuse from her former spouse she has not affirmatively established a bona fide intent to establish and maintain a domicile in New York, but has merely complied with the minimum licensing requirements of nondomiciliary residents. Plaintiff has also not overcome the presumption in favor of an original or former domicile as against an acquired one, since that presumption falls only upon proof that is clear and convincing. Hamlin v. Holland, 256 F. Supp. 25 [E.D. Pa., 1966].

Therefore, since plaintiff had not established domicile in another state at the time of filing this action, defendant's motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction will be granted.

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